First, the original:
Poems written by Huang Songting Jian for Zhang Shuhe
It is better to endure than to win every battle.
Silence is better than saying anything.
Second, translation:
You can win every battle, but you'd better be patient. It is better to be silent than to speak properly every time. It means to be careful what you say and do for your own safety.
Extended data
I. Introduction to the author
Huang Tingjian (1August 9, 045-1May 24, 05), whose real name is Lu Zhi, is a rich man in Fenning, Hongzhou (now xiushui county, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province), a famous writer and calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the founder of Jiangxi Poetry School, with the same fame as Du Fu and Chen Shidao. They, Chao and Qin Guan all studied under Su Shi, and they are collectively called "Su Men Four Bachelor". He was as famous as Su Shi before his death and was called "Su Huang" by the world.
Second, the creative background
This poem was written during the "Yuan You Party Struggle" at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (1086- 1094). Because of Wang Anshi's political reform and the implementation of the New Deal measures, the court formed a "new school" that supported the political reform and an "old school" that opposed the New Deal. The old school is also called "Yuan You Party", including great writers Su Shi, Sima Guang and others. Huang Tingjian was also slightly implicated because of his friendship with Su Shi.